Catholic Churches of NCC includes: Saint Patrick Parish Seneca WI; Saint Philip Parish Rolling Ground WI; Saint Mary Parish Gays Mills WI; St James Cemetery Rising Sun WI; Kneeland Cemetery Seneca WI catholicchurchesofncc.com

Sunday, March 8^th, 2026               Third Sunday in Lent

St. Mary, St. Patrick, St. Philip Parishes

Mailing address for all three parishes:  PO Box 35, Seneca WI 54654

Website: https://www.catholicchurchesofncc.com

Confessions: Normally, 30 minutes before

every Mass and by appointment.

Normal Monthly Eucharistic Adoration:

St. Patrick: First Friday after the 8:30 AM Mass

St. Philip: First Sunday after the 10:30 AM Mass

Mass Intentions This Week

Pastor: Fr. Tom Huff – Rectory 608-734-3252 email: frtomhuff@gmail.com

Bookkeeper, Bulletin, Mass Intentions, Membership: Kevin Murray 608-391-0434 or 608-734-3931 or

email: secretary@ncc.diolcparish.org

New Bulletin Information Deadline: Mondays at 6:00 PM. Bulletin is posted on our website.

UPCOMING PARISH EVENTS

Lenten Confessions being heard at Saint Patrick's Parish, Saturday, March 14^th from 11am to Noon.

Tri-Parish Adult Faith Study

Adult Faith Sessions will not be held during the Lenten Season. Sessions will resume on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at St. Mary’s at 7:00 PM. Please take advantage of these informational learning sessions and join us!

St. Philip Announcements:

St. Philip Candles: Contact Bonnie Murphy. The cost is $5 per candle.

Food Pantry items are needed. Please leave any gift at the rear of the Church.

The St. Philip’s PCCW is sponsoring a service project to support Passages in Richland Center and Door of Hope in Viroqua. Door of Hope supports new moms and babies. Things they could use include diapers, baby blankets and baby clothing. Passages is an organization that gives support to women and families who find themselves in difficult situations and need a safe place to stay and, if necessary, help to start over. Items that are needed include:

Women’s underwear (S, M or L) Women’s and Men’s Deodorant

Baking Mixes (for baking with kids) Blankets

Baking Utensils and kitchen Supplies Dinnerware or Pots & Pans or Silverware

Please bring your items to St. Philip’s Church and place either in the back to church or in the basement. Please label which organization you would like to donate to. Cash donations and checks can be made out to St. Philip’s PCCW and we will issue one check or purchase items to donate. For questions and donating money, please contact Bonnie Murphy, Peggy Schmitt, Amy Murphy or Donna Bell. Thank you for your donations.

St. Mary Announcements:

Rosary – 30 minutes before Mass

First Sunday Potluck Brunch after Mass each first Sunday of the month. All are welcome, dish to share is appreciated, but not required. Next potluck is Sunday, May 3rd.

Saint Mary’s is open 7:00am – 6:00pm (winter hours) daily. Please feel free to come and pray and light a candle if you would like.

Food Pantry Donations can be left in the basket in the rear of the Church.

St. Patrick Announcements:

In need of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion! Anyone willing to volunteer your time to be an Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion Saturday nights or Sunday mornings please text or call Sue Boland @ 608-851-0192.

Tri-Parish Announcements:

Adoration will be held at St. Mary on Saturday March 7^th, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. Confessions will be available starting at 2:30, Benediction at 3:00.

Lenten Stations of the Cross and Soup Supper will be held on all Wednesdays of Lent at St. Mary at 6:00pm. The soup supper will follow the service in the Church Hall. All are welcome.

The Weekly Bulletin is available on our parishes website, this is the link to the bulletin page, updated every Friday: https://www.catholicchurchesofncc.com/bulletins

Other Announcements:

Holy Trinity Fish Fry, will be held at St. Wenceslaus Parish in Eastman, March 13th 5:00 – 9:00 pm. Cost is $15.00 per person, children ages 7 – 12 $10.00, children 6 and under are free. The proceeds will go to various parish projects.

From the Diocesan Office for Sacred Worship, the season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18. Lenten regulations are as follows:

1. Catholics who have celebrated their 14th birthday are to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, all Fridays in Lent and Good Friday.

2. In addition to abstaining from meat, Catholics who have celebrated their 18th birthday, until they celebrate their 59th birthday, are to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Those who are bound to this regulation may eat only one full meal. Two smaller meals are permitted if necessary to maintain strength according to one’s needs but eating solid foods between meals is not permitted.

Tri-Parish Prayer List – We want to pray for the ill and others in our parishes who need ongoing prayer. To be placed on or to place someone on our prayer list, please call: Sue Peterson 608-735-4865, Bonnie Murphy 608-386-4954, or Ica Boylen 608-734-3287.

Income from Last Week

Fulton J. Sheen Prayer Request

Eternal Father, You alone grant us every blessing in Heaven and on earth,

through the redemptive mission of Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and by the working of the Holy Spirit.

If it be according to Your Will, glorify Your servant, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen,

by granting the favor I now request through his prayerful intercession:

The miraculous healing of Conner Murray

I make this prayer confidently through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Imprimatur: +Most Reverend Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C., Bishop of Peoria

From the Priest’s Corner:   Am I a Crybaby?

In the first reading, we how the Israelites continuously complained to Moses about the difficulties of their journey to the promised land. They were like a bunch of crybabies, constantly repeating their desire to return once again to Egypt, even as slaves. God was offering the Israelites the opportunity of entering into a new covenant with them so as they would be His special people and would bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey. Yet, all they did was whine and complain about the difficulties of their new life and journey as a free people.

In contrast to the crybaby Israelites, the Samaritan woman in the Gospel was very interested in the new way of life that Jesus was offering to her. John’s gospel is all about the drama of people’s willingness or unwillingness to come to faith in Jesus. The gift of living water that Jesus talked to her about is a metaphor for the Holy Spirit and the eternal life, spiritual refreshment, and divine grace that Jesus offers to believers. It represents a constant, inner source of spiritual nourishment that satisfies the soul's deepest longing for meaning, forgiveness, and peace. Jesus, who is the source of Living Water, is also thirsty for our faith in Him.

When Jesus says quite plainly that He is the expected Messiah, the woman leaves her water-pot, and she goes back to the town to call other people to meet Jesus. We might read more into her leaving of the water-pot. She has encountered someone who is offering a whole new way of life; in her excitement her desire for natural refreshment is replaced for spiritual refreshment. In her hope and desire for a new beginning and a new way of life, she hurries to let other people know about this amazing gift. “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done!” she says to the people of the city. And some of the people who met with Jesus came to believe in Him. Others however, continued their lives as before with little or no interested in what Jesus has to offer.

Many of the Israelites expressed their preference to return to slavery, failing at first to appreciate the gift of being united to God by a special bond and inheriting the promised land. Some of the Samaritans who encountered Jesus and His offer of Living Water experienced the hope of a new life, while others were not interested in Jesus or His offer of Living Water.

Perhaps some of us are crybabies, wanting to stay in the slavery of sin instead of being a free child of God, faithfully living out our Catholic Faith? Perhaps some of us are indifferent to Jesus and continue to live a purely secular way of life, apart from Him and His teachings? Hopefully, we are like the Samaritan Woman and those other Samaritans, who were excited to receive the gift of Living Water from Jesus. For only by receiving His gift, we may grow in holiness of life and one day enter the Promised Land of Heaven.